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Lucy spacecraft eyeballs next target in exciting new images
- The Lucy spacecraft, on its mission to explore the Trojan asteroids around Jupiter, is currently focusing on the main-belt asteroid Donaldjohanson, as depicted in images shared by NASA on February 25, 2025.
- Scheduled for April 20, Lucy's encounter with the 2-mile-wide Donaldjohanson will precede its investigations of Jupiter's Trojan asteroids in 2027.
- Lucy, having previously imaged the main-belt asteroid Dinkinesh with its contact-binary moon Selam, is set to unveil new findings with Donaldjohanson.
- After launching in 2021, Lucy received a gravity assist from Earth in 2022, paving its way towards the outer solar system for further exploration.
- Jupiter's Trojan asteroids are considered remnants from the early solar system, offering valuable insights into planetary formation.
- The Lucy spacecraft's extensive voyage will provide key information about the solar system's evolution and history, akin to its fossil namesake, Lucy.
- Deputy principal investigator Cathy Olkin highlights Lucy's unique opportunity to study the diverse Trojan asteroids and their formation.
- The upcoming encounters with Trojan asteroids mark the first time a spacecraft will explore these ancient relics within Jupiter's orbit.
- By unraveling the mysteries of the Trojan asteroids, Lucy aims to enhance our understanding of the broader planetary system's development.
- The Lucy spacecraft's ultimate goal is to reach the Trojan asteroids, contributing to significant advancements in solar system exploration.
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